The ATA Chronicle - January/February 2022 - 18

9. Nix wording that
sexualizes or infantilizes
women. Two recent
translation projects come
to mind. The first was a
corporate dress code that
frowned on spaghetti
straps and low-cut
blouses. Simply put, this
is formalized gender
discrimination. We changed
the wording to something
less inflammatory
( " Dress professionally "
did the trick!) and let our
client know.
The other was a
branding piece that
described a veterinarian's
social media presence as
feminine. Tracking down
their Facebook posts to
get a visual, we found
photos of adorable pets
(picture an inspirational
" Hang in There " poster).
We opted for cute and
cuddly and included
a note to the client
patiently explaining
that feminine could be
controversial and distract
from their message.
10. Speak up-again and
again and again. I'm a
firm believer in client
education. Typo in the
source text? Let the client
know. Vague wording?
Let the client know.
Problematic language
that makes them sound
tone-deaf-or worse?
Let the client know.
Companies operate as
closed systems. They have
their own culture and
parlance, so you may find
that some are more prone
to using non-neutral,
non-inclusive language
because they can no longer
objectively hear what they
sound like. They may even
be resistant to constructive
criticism coming from
the outside.
When you take the time
to insert a comment in
your translation or type
up an explanatory email,
don't expect an immediate
response. As we all know,
being a translator sometimes
feels like being stranded on a
desert island. Think of every
comment and every email
like a message in a bottle.
Keep on sending them, and
eventually someone out there
will hear you.
Bottom Line
The bottom line is that
translators have agency over
their work and should make
it as gender-neutral and
inclusive as possible without
impacting readability or
undermining the author's
intention. Ask yourself how
egregious the error is (play
Red Light, Green Light). If it
comes from gender marking
in the source language, keep
moving. If it's a subtlety that
could be improved in the
source as well, consider letting
the client know (especially
if that particular client is a
repeat offender). And if it's a
verbal misstep that could have
far-reaching consequences,
definitely don't let it slide.
We're witnessing social
progress on an unparalleled
scale. What we (and our
clients) say and how we
say it has never mattered
more. As Amanda Ruggeri,
senior editor of BBC Future,
mentioned in a 2019
editorial: " Mirroring gender
imbalance [...] isn't a benign
act. It perpetuates the
problem. " 8
Accustomed to
playing a supporting role,
professional linguists have an
unprecedented opportunity to
18 The ATA Chronicle | January/February 2022
leverage our insight and skills
in unobtrusive yet impactful
ways. After all, how many
other occupations consume,
process, and rephrase
thousands of words a day? We
have a considerable amount
of control over those words,
NOTES
1
and we have the ear of clients
large and small, across every
industry. We can and should
be champions for change.
Have you found sexism or
questionable language in a
source text (or MT/AI
context)? Email me!
" Almost 90% of Men/Women Globally Are Biased Against
Women, " United Nations Development Programme website
(March 5, 2020), https://bit.ly/UNDP-bias.
2
My definition of " woke " is being aware that we all carry
unconscious bias and making a concerted effort to mindfully
combat it whenever possible.
3
To read The Chicago Manual of Style's stance on the use of
the singular " they, " see: https://bit.ly/CMS-pronouns.
4
" Women 'Take Care,' Men 'Take Charge': Stereotyping
of U.S. Business Leaders Exposed, " Catalyst (2005),
https://bit.ly/Catalyst-stereotyping.
5
6
Gender Decoder, http://gender-decoder.katmatfield.com.
" Men and Women: No Big Difference, " American Psychological
Association, www.apa.org/research/action/difference.
7
For more on the pitfalls of marketing to the sexes, watch the
" Why Gender-Based Marketing Is Bad for Business " TED Talk
by Gaby Barrios: https://bit.ly/Gaby-Barrios.
8
Ruggeri, Amanda, " How We're Tackling Gender Imbalance, "
BBC Future (January 17, 2019), https://bbc.in/3zknA0C.
ADDITIONAL READING
Berger, Miriam. " A Guide to How Gender-Neutral Language
Is Developing Around the World, " The Washington Post
(December 15, 2019), https://wapo.st/3eSKMcR.
American Psychological Association Bias-Free Language
Guidelines, https://bit.ly/APA-bias-free.
List of Sexist Adjectives (Sacraparental), https://bit.ly/Sacraparental.
Rachel Pierce, CT is a certified (ATA and
Ordre des traducteurs terminologues et interprètes
agréés du Québec) French>English translator
with over 20 years of industry experience.
For the past eight years, she has worked as
an in-house translator at Anglocom, now a division of TRSB.
She has a master's degree in French studies and a translation
certificate from American University and a bachelor's degree
in French language and literature from the University of Mary
Washington. She has a lifelong interest in improving the gender
balance at work and at home. genderosities@gmail.com
www.atanet.org
https://www.bit.ly/UNDP-bias https://www.bit.ly/CMS-pronouns https://www.bit.ly/Catalyst-stereotyping http://gender-decoder.katmatfield.com http://www.apa.org/research/action/difference https://www.bit.ly/Gaby-Barrios https://www.bbc.in/3zknA0C https://www.wapo.st/3eSKMcR https://www.bit.ly/APA-bias-free https://www.bit.ly/Sacraparental http://www.atanet.org

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